Disclaimer: I do not own the properties of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise or the work of the cards; I only own the OCs that could or may be involved in this series. I own nothing of the real OCG cards, just the formal OC character.
Arc League Championship: Chapter 31: The Flames of Rigidity
After the Arc League Championship inauguration ceremony, the most significant event starts with various duels. The first was Frederick and his opponent Trevor.
Yasuko didn't feel like watching any of the three little kids' duel. As much as everyone wants her to, there are other things that she had to do. She needs time to think about Shun Obsidian. Why is Shun working for the Leo Institute? There are so many questions popping in her head that it's cramping her brain. She walks down the hallway to take the time to explore the new stadium that she does not know.
Most of the You-Show duelists are already watching Frederick's first duel in the Arc League, leaving her all to herself. As she walks on the second floor of the stadium, she was looking outside of the window to see the Youth dueling sector. Considering that it is not as big as the main arena, it's as big as a park.
Yasuko happens to come by and notice Henrietta in the hallway, looking out at the window of the kid sector. "Well, there's a surprise," she said, calling out to the woman. "After looking around this place, I never thought I get to see you again."
Henrietta turns up and finds Yasuko walking by, much to her surprise. As always, her professional business smile formed on her face to greet Yasuko. "Why, hello, Mrs. Yukihana," she addressed. "I'm so glad that you've made it to the stadium. I'd take it you're enjoying this competition?"
"For the record, I don't enjoy being in the big leagues myself," said Yasuko. Since Henrietta is the mother of Declan, maybe she knows who Shun is and why he is working for the Leo Institute. "By the way, Mrs. Akaba, can I ask you something?" Yasuko inquired.
"Why certainly," Henrietta complied, turning halfway to face the girl.
"Do you know, by any chance, who that that other guy was?" Yasuko asked.
Henrietta raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "Other guy?" she questioned.
"Shun Obsidian. The guy with dark blueish hair wearing an oversized, purple trench coat," Yasuko described. "Ring any bells?"
Henrietta seems to shake her head with regret. "I'm sorry," she said, "I don't know much about this Shun Obsidian, but what I do know is that he's a transfer student from Iceland and that he's been studying at the Leo Institute for over a year."
Yasuko narrows her eyes slightly with suspicions. "Oh," she replied. "Really? What was his specialty?"
"Oh, I don't know," said Henrietta. "There are too many students to see which ones are studying based on their perspective, and Shun is a mysterious fellow. He keeps all to himself mostly."
"So, I see..." Yasuko turns to face the Youth sector of the tournament. From there, she can spot the rest of the You-Show students at the bottom after Frederick's first win. She then moves her eyes to gaze at Allie's next opponent. She was confused about who it was considering that the opponent has a turquoise hoodie over the head covered by a black, blue baseball cap. Even from a distance, Yasuko sports the child sporting a yellow and blue striped shirt and grey cargo shorts with blue sneakers.
DUEL:
Allie Ayukawa (LP: 4000)
VS
Riley Akaba (LP: 4000)
Turn 1: Allie (5x cards)
Allie Normal Summons Aquaactress Guppy (ATK 600/DEF 600). She activates the Continuous Spell Card: Aquarium Stage, which prevents her WATER monsters from being destroyed by battle except by other WATER monsters. She then activates the Continuous Spell Card Aquarium Set which increases the ATK of all "Aquaactress" monsters on the field by 600
(Aquaactress Guppy: ATK 600 → 1200)
Allie finally activates the Continuous Spell Card: Aquarium Lighting, which can double the ATK points of all Aquaactress monsters until the end of the Battle Phase when they battle another monster. Allie ends her turn as she Sets a card.
"It seems that your school is finally ready for action," said Henrietta.
"Like any of those kids I know have a chance to last two matches in this tournament," Yasuko proclaimed.
Henrietta raised an eyebrow with interest. "I see you don't have confidence in your classmates," she stated. "Aren't you a member of You-Show Duel School? You should be supportive of them."
Yasuko averts her gaze and turns her head. "I am, just not in a way like everyone else," she replied, turning back to the duel between Allie and the newcomer. "Why'd you do it?" she asked out of the blue.
Henrietta turns to the girl in surprise. "Do what?"
"Don't pretend like I don't know," Yasuko snapped. "Why'd you switched my opponent yesterday to duel someone from your school?" Her eyes turn back to the woman with a scowl. "I said I don't like anyone tampering with my business, and right after I won my fifth match, you and that bodyguard of yours came to my house to, as you would say, talk? What are you up to right now, Mrs. Akaba?"
Henrietta knows that the girl is smart enough to see through most deceptions but isn't smart enough to see what her real motive is. She has to be extra careful with the girl for now on. "Why I came to your place, you asked?" she began. "Well, for starters, I have a question of my own." Henrietta turns to looks down at the girl. "I've been wondering how someone like you, a stranger who just moved to this city from Tokyo with no prior experience to any duel schools, was able to perform a Pendulum Summon and acquire those cards of your own. Not to mention you harbor some extend to use Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Summon without anyone tutoring you," she said. "All of the Extra Deck Summons first came from the Leo Corporation, and other duel schools have incorporated them into their curriculum, yet you were able to do it at least two of them without any proper training." Her eyes seem to be giving suspicions regarding Yasuko and her abilities. "That's very difficult, even for an average Leo student can handle. It seems like you know a lot more than what we thought of ourselves."
Yasuko is sure that the woman was getting on to her deck's capabilities, but to be honest with herself, she had no idea how she knew the Extra Deck methods. Henrietta is right about one thing; Yasuko didn't have someone teaching her how to do one Extra Deck summon. It's like she knew them beforehand without knowing it. "I'll be honest with you, woman," she said, "I have no way of telling how I know Synchro, Fusion, or Xyz Summon, I just do."
Henrietta seems intrigued by Yasuko's answer. "So, then you don't know how you learned them?" she asked.
"Not really," Yasuko answered. "I just know them like they're the back of my hand."
"And the Pendulum Summon?" Henrietta enquired. "How is it that you were able to do a successful Pendulum Summon, and acquire those Pendulum Cards?" Her eyes make them rove over with suspicions, focusing on anything that Yasuko has to know.
Like with the previous question, Yasuko shrugged. "I have no idea how I acquire Pendulum Cards, lady," she replied. "As for Pendulum Summon, all I did is simply replay the same way how Yuya and Declan did it, and just copied it like how I'm doing it instead." She turns back to watch the duel between the two children dueling each other. "I guess you could say that I have photographic memory."
Henrietta, who is even more curious about the girl, is making her usual business smile. "How interesting," she commented. "You are full of mysteries, Yasuko. You are just full of mysteries." Henrietta turns to the duel between Allie and her opponent.
The two females didn't say anything as the duel between Allie and the newcomer begins. From the look of the turquoise hoodie, Yasuko guesses that the person is probably the same one she saw at the VIP sector. She finally spoke to the woman. "Allie's opponent is a child from the LDS," she said. "Who's that kid?"
"My other child," Henrietta revealed.
Yasuko is shocked that Henrietta has a second child. She didn't hear or look upon anything relating to Henrietta having another child. Her eyes widened in surprise that the woman has another child. "What? Your other child?" she questioned.
Henrietta lets out a snort. "You may have known Declan through the Internet and news articles, but this one's a special case."
"I didn't know that you had another child," said Yasuko, looking at Riley. If Henrietta said it is right about Allie's opponent, then she would assume that, like Declan, Henrietta's younger child can do one of the three of the Extra Deck summoning methods.
"Of course, no one does," said Henrietta, looking at the duel. "It was only for Declan and me to know."
"Got a name?" Yasuko questioned.
"This one never had a name," Henrietta introduced. "But we call this one…Riley."
Yasuko turns to the woman back from the duel. "Riley? Riley Akaba?"
Henrietta didn't bother to look at Yasuko as she explains who the other child is. "We found Riley in a rumble of a house in a war-torn country after the conflict ended," she said. "And because of that, we adopted the child, and Riley is now a part of the family."
For the first time, Yasuko felt a sympathetic feeling inside. To think that the Akabas adopted a young child from a ravaged land of violence is a lot for Yasuko to take. She doesn't know what the child had seen in the country he was born in, but Yasuko can believe that the child is familiar with the feeling of being taken in. The more she stares at Riley, the more curious she is.
Turn 2: Riley (5x cards)
Riley starts as he draws a card. For his first move, Riley activates the Continuous Spell Card: Shutter Layer 1, which allows Riley to target one monster that Allie controls and Special Summons it as a Normal Monster with the same name, Type, Attribute, Level, ATK, and DEF, but if the monster it targets leaves the field, then Layer 1 is destroyed too. She targets the guppy actress and Special Summons the spell as a copy of Aquaactress Guppy Layer (ATK 600/DEF 600) in Defense Position. Due to the effect of the continuous spell that Allie set up, it gains the same attack power as Allie's monster.
(Aquaactress Guppy Layer: ATK 600 → 1200)
Once the actress copy is setup, Riley Sets a card that mimics Allie's last turn.
Yasuko and Henrietta watched the duel between Allie and Riley. The child seems to stumble at first because of his shyness and possibly a stage fright. Riley is having a hard time trying to get used to dueling in front of a crowd. As Yasuko gazes at Riley, she could've sworn that she is seeing a mirror reflection of her younger self back when she first entered a duel that was being watched by tons of people.
Turn 3: Allie (0x card)
Like Riley, Yasuko had a hard time adjusting to being watched big crowd staring at her. She isn't sure if she should feel bad for the Riley because of the shyness, but she knows that Riley will soon overcome it because he is an Akaba.
Allie draws a card and Normal Summons Aquaactress Tetra (ATK 300/DEF 300). Because the monster is an Aquaactress, it gains some ATK points due to the effect of Allie's spell.
(Aquaactress Tetra: ATK 300 → 900)
Allie's original guppy actress attacks Riley's guppy doppelganger, in response, she activates the Action Spell Card: Sunshine Smile which increases the ATK points of her own until the end of the Battle Phase
(Aquaactress Guppy: ATK 1200 → 1600)
Due to the effect of Aquarium Lighting, the ATK points on the original guppy actress doubles, and because Riley's spell is the same as the monster that Allie has, it also gains ATK points.
(Aquaactrss Guppy: 1600 → 3200)
(Aquaactress Guppy Layer: 1200 → 2400)
Due to Allie's guppy actress being more powerful than Riley's guppy actress, the monster is destroyed, inflicting damage to Riley.
(Riley: LP 4000 → 3200 LP)
With Riley's field empty, Allie makes a direct attack with her tetra actress monster, inflicting more damage to Riley.
(Riley: LP 3200 → 2300 LP)
Once Allie ends her turn, all of her monster's ATK points return to normal.
(Aquaactrss Guppy: 3200 → 1200)
Yasuko may be underestimating the little kid because of Riley's shyness, but she knows that the little one can do more.
Turn 4: Riley (4x cards)
Riley had drawn a card and activated a second Continuous Spell Card: Shutter Layer 2, which makes all cards that Allie controls on the field unaffected by her card effects. Since all of the card effects don't affect Allie's monsters anymore, their attack power has dropped dramatically from taking the fall.
(Aquaactress Guppy: ATK 1200 → 600)
(Aquaactress Tetra: ATK 900 → 300)
Yasuko obverses the match as Riley activates the second copy of his Continuous Spell Card: Shuttle Layer 1, which copies the monster that he targets to have it become the exact monster as a Normal monster. By copying the guppy actress, the spell card summons an Aquaactress Guppy Layer (ATK 600/DEF 600). Since the effect of Allie's spell card backfires on her, only Riley's monster doppelganger gains the attack power.
(Aquaactress Guppy Layer: ATK 600 → 1200)
Yasuko is impressed by how the role reverses back to Allie. At first, the little red-haired girl seemed to have the advantage, but instead, Riley manages to use the effect against Allie. Because of the first spell card that Riley made, all of Allie's cards are unaffected by her own.
"Smart move," Yasuko whispered.
It was Riley's turn to commence the battle, and the guppy duplicate attacks the original guppy actress, which triggers Allie's spell to double its attack power.
(Aquaactress Guppy Layer: ATK 1200 → 2400)
Riley chooses to attack and destroy the tetra monster, inflicting more damage to Allie than what she did to him.
(Allie: LP 4000 → 1900)
Turn 5: Allie (0x card)
Yasuko and Henrietta watched the two little kids from their respective duel schools, reaching the highest point of the duel. Yasuko is intrigued to see how well-trained Riley is compared to the rest of the You-Show kids.
Allie draws to tribute her guppy actress to Tribute Summon Aquaactress Arowana (ATK 2000/DEF 2000). Since the monster it was targeting left the field, Aquaactress Guppy Layer is destroyed. With Riley's field empty, Allie attacks directly with her arowana actress, but Riley activates the face-down Trap Card: Instant Shutter, which activates when an opponent's monster attacks directly and Special Summons it as a Normal Monster with the same name, Type, Attribute, Level, ATK, and DEF as the monster that it targeted. At the right timing, the trap card is Special Summoned as an Aquaactress Arowana Shutter (ATK 2000/DEF 2000). Because Riley's trap monster is an Aquaactress, it gains 600 ATK
(Aquaactress Arowana Shutter: ATK 2000 → 2600)
Allie activates her Trap Card: Aqua Story – Urashima, which banishes two "Aquaactress" monsters from her Graveyard to make the ATK points of one of her opponent's monsters 100 ATK points and prevent it from being changed by other card effects this turn. She banishes her guppy and tetra actresses and targets the arowana shutter
(Aquaactress Arowana Shutter: ATK 2600 → 100)
With the attack power reversed, the original arowana actress destroys the arowana shutter
(Riley: LP 2300 → 400)
Turn 6: Riley (4x cards)
As soon as Riley looks up from the arena, possible to Henrietta, the child knows at the instant to never disappoint her. Like a puppet, Riley makes the final turn. Riley draws a card and Normal Summons C/C Critical Eye (ATK 1400/DEF 1000). Riley then activates the Continuous Spell Card: Montage Fusion, which targets one monster on the opponent's side of the field and Fusion Summon using the Fusion Materials using the spell card as the required Fusion Material. Riley targets Allie's arowana actress to Fusion Summon C/C/C Water Sword of Battle (ATK 2400/DEF 0) in Attack Position.
Yasuko raised an eyebrow at the sight of Fusion Summon. "What the…" Her mind was racing to ask Henrietta questions regarding the child she adopted. For such a young age, Riley master the art of Fusion Summon.
Henrietta can tell that Yasuko was surprised even if she wasn't looking at her. "Don't look surprised," she said. "Declan and I taught 'this little one everything we know."
Yasuko kept her eyes on Riley, looking utterly void of anything emotional. If Henrietta said that she taught Riley everything, then Yasuko can conclude that Riley knows every Extra Deck except for Pendulum so far.
"So, Riley knows Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Summon then?" she inquired. "It's like I'm looking at a mini version of your older son, Henrietta."
"Everything…except for Pendulum," Henrietta responded. "It's a new ability we have yet to harnessed." She turns her eyes away to glance at the girl again. "Doesn't seem like your little friends there are now in deep trouble?"
Yasuko can only conclude that Allie lost the duel against Riley, especially when the water sword gains ATK points for every other WATER monster on the field.
(C/C/C Water Sword of Battle: ATK 2400 → 4400)
The water sword attacks and slices the arowana into pieces, effectively stomping over Allie and the rest of her life points.
(Allie: LP 1900 → 0)
WINNER: Riley Akaba
Yasuko narrows her eyes, focusing on Riley. "It's no surprise that this was about to happen. Allie lost the moment she faced someone who is an Akaba." And with that, she turns her body around and walks out of Henrietta's gaze. Even though she can feel the woman staring at her back, Yasuko ignores the intruding gaze of the woman and walks around the corner to disappear.
Yasuko is thinking back of how this tournament turned out to be. First, there was Shun Obsidian, the guy who attacked her weeks ago before her commitment to the Arc League. She only met him once, and already she could guess that Shun doesn't have any choice but to participate in the Arc League may be due to some prior connection to the attacks on the LDS people. She wonders if Yuto knows that his friend is being forced to take on the Arc League, and they were enemies.
The second was Henrietta talking about Riley. She said that Riley came from a war-torn country and that she adopted Riley into the family. Why though? She has to have a reason why she would take in a strange little kid in a random country to be a part of the family. Also, she never even got the chance to meet Leo Akaba. She knows that Leo and Henrietta are married and that Declan is the son of Leo Akaba, but she has yet to wonder where the man was.
When she was researching the Akabas, the recent photo of Leo was about five years ago and hasn't made any public appearance since then. Yasuko feels that the Akabas is shrouded with mysteries, and she has only started to scratch the surface.
After walking around to tour the stadium, she finds it no surprise that the big boy, Mikisugi Dakoda, is the last person to see in the day. He stands in her path. His arms crossed with the same smug look on his face that she sometimes sees.
Yasuko sighs heavily and scowls at him. "What do you want, Mikisugi? Can't you see that I am busy?" The girl hopes to get away from the boy, but no matter how much she wants to walk away from him, it would seem that her past has come back to her
Mikisugi's face turns serious. "Just to be clear, after you beat me in our last duel a few years ago, I was hoping that this is the day where I can finally beat you at your own game," he warned.
"You cheated me and took my Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, that was not the right move to make, Mikisugi," Yasuko snapped, not looking away from the boy who tormented her for a few years. "And as far as I remember, you lose to me fairly, but you claim that you want a rematch after I beat you five years ago."
Mikisugi's eyebrows scrutinized. "And I learned from that mistake," he said. "Because of you, everyone dueled me and proclaimed that I was a coward to be resetting the cards in my deck, and they always ended up beating me like I was just a chew toy," he retorted. "So, I trained harder than ever so that one day, I can finally beat you and your deck at your own game."
Yasuko narrowed her eyes, focusing on his face of anger. "Like I give a damn," she stated. "That was five years ago, Mikisugi. Just let it go."
Mikisugi's glare never wavered from looking down at Yasuko. "Let it go? How can I? You humiliated me in front of everyone at our old school, and do you know what I went through because of that? Don't think for once that I am the same Mikisugi from Horyuji Academy," he proclaimed, jabbing a thumb to himself. "What you're looking at is the new and improved Mikisugi Dakoda of the Grigori Duel School!" He then points at Yasuko's face. "And this time, I'm going to crush you like how you crushed me all those years ago."
Despite the glare that Mikisugi is making, Yasuko didn't seem bothered or intimidated by him. She was more relaxed than ever as she frowns at the bully. "Then you better have an extra pair of pants with you," she said firmly. "Because you are not the person that I want to beat, but since you stated that you're going to crush me, I'll show you something that I've been working on, Mikisugi Dakoda."
Mikisugi seems satisfied with the growing tensions between them. He stands down. "Then, until we meet, Yasuko Yukihana." And with that, the boy's shoulder pushed the girl out of her way and walked away from her.
Yasuko is feeling the fire inside of her gut and now hoping to get her duel against him underway and skip out on Zuzu's duel against Julia. Adjusting her gym bag, she walks around the stadium. Yasuko explores the food court sector, watch some scenes from different duels in different sectors like the Senior sector where Lightning Wolf is dueling.
As Yasuko walks in a hallway with little or few people, she happens to saw one person coming up to her. At first sight of Shun Obsidian, the fire inside of her rages even bigger. Perhaps the whole tournament has gotten her, as Shuzo would say, blood boiling. Her stone-cold blue iris glances at Shun's sharp, yellow-green eyes.
The sight of him makes her face twisted with anger. Her rage is building as Shun comes closer to her.
Time seems to be moving slowly for both of them as they were walking. The footsteps clap to their ears like a hammer hitting a nail to wood. They didn't seem to notice each other at first, but Shun is cautious of who he encounters. He didn't seem to know her. Net yet anyways. When time resumes back to average speed, they walk past each other, but Yasuko called out, "Shun Obsidian."
As expected, upon hearing his name being called, Shun stops right on his tracks as Yasuko did the same, hoping him to listen to her say his name.
Their backs were facing each other, both of them refusing to turn and glance at each other. They were all standing still in the middle of the hallways. Shun is taller than Yasuko that she would have to stand on the tips of her toes to be on his shoulder elevation.
"What a coincidence that we would meet each other again, and here at this stadium," Yasuko said slowly, hoping to gain some attention from the boy. "After all, you attacked me a few weeks ago for being an idiot to not realize I am not LDS. I'd say it's the perfect opportunity to kick your ass for the other day."
Yasuko can feel the sharp daggers coming from Shun even though he didn't turn his head around to face her. "You seriously think I didn't forget what happened back at that alley? That you snared me with that red cable of yours?" she persisted. "And you've infiltrated the Leo Institute to be undercover as a student for their school? That is so not like you to be siding with the enemies unless you have to." She paused before asking him, "Now, out with it, what are you doing here, asshole?"
Yasuko waits patiently, expecting to either answer him or walk away. To her surprise, Shun responds with a very cold, but a threatening voice. "It's none of your business, girl," he answered.
Yasuko's eyes frown even further. "It is my business after you falsely accuse me of being LDS," she argued. "You shouldn't have pissed off someone you don't know; otherwise, they'll, one day, come back to get you." The air is thick with a strong aura between the two people. Shun and Yasuko are growing tenser inside as the conversation goes on. "I suspect that you came here because you have a mission to do, or rather, you were forced to because someone made a deal with you."
"I came here at my own free will," Shun replied, straining his voice. "And like I said, it's none of your business. So, do me a favor and stay out of my way."
It's like Yasuko's talking to her mirror. Shun is displaying a lot of defiance to her. She is sure that Shun is keeping to himself. She will have to sneak herself to get to him. "Oh, so you say that I have no business in what the Akabas is planning? Or is this the work of maybe…Declan." From the moment she spoke of his name, Shun's shoulder tensed to the point where it was shaking a little bit.
"I bet he knows what you're after," said Yasuko. "So better tell me, what is that you were after when you attacked me?" Her eyes glance over her peripherals to the boy. "What are you doing here, and what are you trying to gain by being a lapdog for him?"
Yasuko is sure enough now that Shun's glancing back at her through his peripherals. He and Yasuko are now getting tensed after meeting each other. After a short pause, he said to her, "You better shut your mouth about this, cuz when I'm done with him, I'm going to finish what I started, girl."
Yasuko didn't expect him to end their conversation quickly, but then again, she was instead feeling fiercer than ever. She hopes to duel him and finish that duel they had, but since they're at the stadium and in a public space, it was clear that neither of them will have the chance as there are 'eyes' everywhere.
"Then God to Hell, you better be ready for the duel of your life, Shun Obsidian," Yasuko proclaimed. "And it's Yasuko Yukihana to you…boy." Her voice gives a low, ominous warning to splash Shun. With everything set, the two people walk away from each other. While doing so, Shun exchanges a scowling glance at the girl with her black vest jacket.
In return, Yasuko's frown pivots to be looking at Shun, directing at the eyes, saying that she will become the one who is going to beat the hell out of him.
Author Note:
Alright, so here is the second chapter of the Arc League, and it's not much. Just a break from the duels before proceeding on to the next one. I am feeling so tired right about now. So much work needs to be done and fingers cramped from typing. Anyways, there will be more future confrontations with Shun Obsidian and other characters, but not right now.
I hoped that you readers are having an awesome day. Thank you for taking the time to read this story, and if you like it, then that is great! I love someone to read my work. Remembers readers, keep up on your day, and it will turn out okay! Bye! You all have a beautiful day!